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The opportunities for marketers trying to market accounting firms are in providing value to customers outside of their accounting services, and networking with businesses and individuals in order to grow your contact list and generate leads. By targeting these objectives accounting firms can overcome the challenges they face and develop a competitive advantage over their rivals.
Here are ten marketing strategies that work best for accounting firms.
- Networking Events
One of the best ways to create new leads and meet potential clients is through networking events. While many people and businesses will search online for many of their needs, including accounting services, meeting people face to face can allow you to make a lasting impression on them. The ability to show off your company’s personality as well as your knowledge and skills makes these events an important part of your marketing efforts.
You should look for events that are relevant to your area of expertise but don’t limit yourself to just accounting events. If your business operates in a niche or has knowledge of a specific industry, then you should try and attend those events too. For example, if your accounting firm has a lot of clients that work in the manufacturing industry then you could attend events for that industry and demonstrate your ability to provide value to clients in that industry.
- Webinars and Speaking Roles
Hosting webinars or making yourself available are great ways to get your name out there. The ability to teach others gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the field and build trust and authority in the industry.
Similar to networking events, webinars and speaking roles can be made more effective if you are aware of your unique selling point or the niche market that you serve. For example, if you have several clients that are tech start-ups, then you could host a webinar specific to them. By targeting your strengths and the aspects of your firm that make you unique, you can better sell yourself to new clients.
- Blogging
As the previous two points have touched on, establishing yourself as a thought leader in the industry can give you an advantage over your competition. Blogging can build this identity in a way that can also market your company to your target audience. By writing regular blog content you create a sense of legitimacy and trust in your business through proving your knowledge to your clients.
By analysing your client base and knowing your strengths you can help to guide the topics for these blogs. Write on topics that your current clients will want to read as well as content that potential clients will want to see. Look at your current clients and address them with topics that relate to their businesses, such as ‘Accounting Tips for Small Businesses’ or ‘Best Accounting Practices for Sporting Clubs’. Again, knowing your niche can help a lot here. This will engage your current customers while also brining in potential new clients from similar industries.
- Social Media
Social media is often neglected by accounting firms since, on the surface, the two don’t seem to be a good match. Whereas social media platforms are apps and websites that people choose to engage with regularly for fun and entertainment, accounting firms are utilitarian businesses that people often only think about near tax time. Getting over this hurdle unlocks a wealth of marketing potential for accounting firms.
By utilising social media to create value for your followers you can leverage the power of these platforms to shape people’s view of your business. The previously mentioned strategies can be repurposed to provide content for your social media accounts. Posts about an industry event you are attending, announcing upcoming webinars and speaking roles, or snippets and links to a blog post on your website are perfect for providing value to the people that follow you. Posting reminders for upcoming deadlines or important dates in the financial calendar is another way to provide value to your followers. You can also use social media to let people see you company’s personality and allow them to feel more connected to you by highlighting employees and their accomplishments.
- Video Content
Marketing trends change all the time, and the recent shift has been towards video content. While text-based content is still a powerful tool when used correctly, many people are more likely to engage more with a video. Video content has always been a valid method for many platforms, but the recent change has seen it become a valuable aspect of your strategy for every platform. With video content becoming cheaper and easier to produce it is now one of the best methods to market your business.
Accounting firms can create videos that advertise what they offer as well as videos that answer common questions people often present. Videos are some of the most commonly shared posts on social media, so they are a great way to reach people outside of your current customers and niche industries. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t create videos for your current clients, but you should spend some time creating more general content that anyone could connect with.
- Website and SEO
When looking to make a purchase, majority of people do their research online. If you don’t have a strong web presence, then you may be overlooked by potential customers when they are searching for an accounting firm.
Your website needs to be informative and professional, while also performing well and loading fast. Make sure that there is a mobile optimised version of your site as well, since over half of all web traffic is now found on mobile. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is another key part of your website’s success. By making sure that your SEO is in order you will appear nearer to the top of Google search results and good website performance and optimisation will help you stay there.
Accounting firms need to tackle their marketing challenges in unique ways to overcome the obstacles that they face. Their place in many people’s minds as businesses that serve one sole purpose makes it a challenge to get individuals to engage with them. By focusing on building your network and providing value to your customers through numerous channels, these businesses can deliver a unique marketing message to drive performance and success in the industry.
People don’t really look around for the best accountant they can find, they will often stick with who they know. Marketing for accounting firms therefore becomes about making your firm feel like someone that customers already know.
Image Source: Shutterstock (1224728467)
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